Police Supt. Garry McCarthy was quoted by Chicago reporters insisting that the shooting, which seriously wounded a 3-year-old boy, is ample proof that “assault weapons” should be banned.

But when the Chicago Tribune noted that police think the shooting was the latest episode of violence between the Gangster Disciples and the Black P. Stones, CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said this puts the real problem in perspective.

“When you have street thugs opening fire on groups of people in a gang war,” he observed, “that suggests the city has not advanced much since the days of Al Capone and Bugs Moran. Law-abiding Chicago residents continue to face bureaucratic obstacles, wade through red tape and jump through hoops before they can legally own a gun, while criminals obviously don’t bother with any of that, and just drive around shooting people.

“If Superintendent McCarthy and his boss, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, want to make the streets safer,” he continued, “they should concentrate their efforts on ridding the city of its criminal element rather than push for bans on the kinds of firearms that are owned by millions of law-abiding Americans. Those citizens haven’t hurt anyone, and neither have their guns.

“McCarthy and his department could pull a little ‘Shock and Awe’ operation, one neighborhood at a time, rousting these thugs, arresting those who have outstanding warrants, jailing those found to be illegally carrying guns and sending a message to straighten up or you’re going down,” Gottlieb suggested. “It’s time for Chicago authorities to face the fact that they’re not going to get rid of their crime problem until they start getting rid of their criminals.”

“We find this deplorable and despicable,” he added, “and a clear sign that the Obama administration is not simply out of touch, it is out of control. It is time for Congress to put a check on the Executive branch and rein these people in, and it is also time for Attorney General Eric Holder to go.”

Gottlieb noted that, “It is the role of the press to be a watchdog on government, not the other way around.” He said Rosen and La Jeunesse “not only did nothing wrong, they did their jobs. In La Jeunesse’s case, he has been instrumental in exposing the outrage known as Fast and Furious to the American people.”

Fast and Furious is the scandalous Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives gun trafficking operation that authorized at least 2,000 AK-type rifles to be purchased by known criminal suspects. It was terminated immediately after a gun associated with the operation was recovered at the scene of a gunfight in 2010 that resulted in the death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.

“It should not surprise anyone that the First Amendment is every bit as important to us as the Second Amendment,” Gottlieb observed. “The Citizens Committee is not an organization that cherry picks from the Bill of Rights. Unlike the Obama administration, we revere all the individual rights protected by the Constitution, while they seem intent on ignoring its very existence.

“In light of these scandals,” he concluded, “it is clear why gun owners are being joined by growing legions of other citizens in their distrust of government.”

BELLEVUE, WA (January 25, 2013) – As the debate over new gun control laws continues to take top billing in state and national news, organizations representing gun owners and Second Amendment rights in five U.S. states have recently joined Firearms Policy Coalition, noted managing director Brandon Combs.

“In the midst of one proposed gun ban after another, the addition of these outstanding organizations to our Coalition means that those working hard to secure our Second Amendment rights are coming together to tell President Obama and our state legislatures that enough is enough,” remarked CCRKBA founder Alan Gottlieb. “The millions of law-abiding American gun owners have had it with being scapegoated for the crimes of the evil and insane.”

“There’s never been a more critical time for all of us fighting for the advancement of Second Amendment rights to work together,” observed Brent Carlton, president of Comm2A. “Our litigation efforts are critically important, but it’s equally important that gun owners be informed and take action every day to oppose those laws which infringe on their rights.” Continued Carlton, “FPC provides an opportunity for Massachusetts gun owners to have an impactful and far-reaching effect, both in terms of their own state’s laws as well as proud Americans who value their federal Constitutional rights.”

“This partnership brings Florida Carry to the forefront of the national public policy debate on private firearms ownership,” said Sean Caranna, Executive Director of Florida Carry, Inc. “As Florida’s largest and most active Second Amendment rights organization, we’re proud to be a part of this coalition and through it extend our grassroots efforts to combat gun control laws in Florida and everywhere.”

IllinoisCarry spokesperson Valinda Rowe added, “IllinoisCarry is pleased to join efforts with the Firearm Policy Coalition. Not only must we actively work toward beating back irrational gun control laws in our home state of Illinois but we must also work toward protecting and preserving our rights on a national level. This would be a daunting task if not for a nationwide coalition of Second Amendment groups like the FPC. We thank the FPC for creating this opportunity to work together, coast to coast across the nation. Together, we can stand up to those who would strip us of our Constitutional rights and insure the Second Amendment remains strong for many generations to come.”

“Over the past two decades, many states have used common sense and protected the civil liberties of their residents, such as through permit-less and accessible shall-issue firearm carry laws,” said Chris Baker, president of Hawaii Defense Foundation. “However, some states just can’t seem to grasp the plain meaning of the Constitution. To those states, we say this: we will fight hard together, we will fight smart together, and we will win together. That is exactly what we and the Firearms Policy Coalition will do.”

“While Texas residents may not face the same gun law challenges as those in Massachusetts, California, or Illinois, all Texans are Americans first and know that gun control laws anywhere are an affront to liberty everywhere,” commented Gary Burris, president of Lone Star Shooting Association. “We’re proud to join with FPC and work cooperatively to secure our fundamental rights so that law-abiding gun owners can exercise their rights across our great state and country, in Texas and in Toledo.”

“Firearms Policy Coalition has reached millions of Americans since launching in December and we’re looking forward to reaching millions more,” said FPC’s Combs. “The overwhelmingly positive reaction to our message of civil rights and the facts about gun control really drives home how much Americans value their freedom. These new FPC member organizations are key to ensuring that the Second Amendment means what it says.”

“While some power-hungry politicians want nothing more than to undermine the Second Amendment and important legal decisions like Heller and McDonald, we’re confident that the Constitution provides the best policy: the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not – and must not – be infringed.”

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (ccrkba.org) is dedicated to protecting your firearms rights. Its role is to educate grass root activists, the public, legislators and the media. CCRKBA’s programs are designed to help all Americans understand the importance of the Second Amendment and its role in keeping Americans free.

Commonwealth Second Amendment (Comm2A.org) is a grassroots civil rights organization dedicated to promoting a better understanding of rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. Our activities include educational programs designed to promote a better understanding of Massachusetts and Federal firearms laws and rights as well as programs to defend and protect the civil rights of Massachusetts gun owners.

Hawaii Defense Foundation (hawaiidefensefoundation.org) was chartered to protect and defend the Second Amendment of the United States and Hawaii Constitution, provide safety and education training on firearms, and help empower Americans with the knowledge and understanding of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. HDF advocates for all civil liberties, and is currently engaged in Federal litigation regarding the Second and First Amendments.

IllinoisCarry (illinoiscarry.com) reaches thousands of pro-Second Amendment citizens with email alerts and legislative actions. In addition to other efforts, IllinoisCarry helps find legal counsel for those whose Second Amendment rights have been violated. Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day (IGOLD), which is co-sponsored by IllinoisCarry, drew over 8,000 Illinois gun owners from across the state to Springfield to march in our yearly parade and engage their elected officials in 2012.

Florida Carry, Inc. (floridacarry.org) is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to advancing the fundamental civil right of all Floridians to keep and bear arms for self-defense as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I Section 8 of the Florida Constitution. Florida Carry works tirelessly toward repealing and striking down ill-conceived gun control laws that have been proven to provide safe havens to criminals and be deadly to law abiding citizens.

Lone Star Shooting Association (lssa.us) was founded by a group of American and European shooters to build a tool for public and political awareness used to spread legal, responsible possession of firearms and the right to use firearms in a practical manner suitable for self defense. LSSA funds projects for the preservation of gun rights around the world.

“Based on the most conservative estimates, tens of thousands of legally-armed private citizens have used firearms defensively, including one 15-year-old teenager in Texas who protected his home and sister with an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “But the press virtually ignored these incidents, instead concentrating on getting a juicy sound bite from anti-gun Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy about how many people have been victims of violent crime.

“This ignores the positive side of private gun ownership,” he added, “and presents a biased view of guns in society. We need to recognize the number of lives that have been saved, and the number of crimes thwarted because a citizen had a gun.”

“We all deplore the senseless loss of life,” Gottlieb observed. “But Rep. McCarthy and other gun grabbers like to ignore the usefulness of firearms in the right hands. Anti-gunners assume that if you only tell half a story, it becomes the story.”

Gottlieb suggested that if reporters need balance, they can find stories every day about lawful self-defense on the KeepAndBearArms.com website.

“It’s about time the press looked at those stories and gave them national attention equal to the attention they pay to the criminal misuse of firearms,” Gottlieb said. “Private firearms ownership should be reported and encouraged. After all, if it saves just one life, then having a gun for personal protection is an idea we should all support.”

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the Internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org.

The Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC) provides for an effective, NATO-like response to gun control campaigns and efficient, low-friction advocacy of litigation, legislation, education, and grassroots efforts that advance Second Amendment rights. Of the Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb said, “I’m proud to help usher in the next generation of gun rights activism. The new paradigm is, and must be, coordination, mutual-support, and unity. Those who would disarm America’s law-abiding people are rabid in their desire to assault gun owners’ Second Amendment, privacy, and property rights.”

“The coordination between stakeholders at all levels within FPC,” explained Calguns Foundation Chairman Gene Hoffman, “ is really key. We knew that, to meet the coming challenge head-on, a new model for our cause would have to be employed. As a seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur, I know how important it is to be agile and effective in today’s world – and what happens when you’re not.”

Excitement surrounding the Coalition and its fresh, positive approach to the issues that matter to gun owners has led to a rapid and steady increase of new individual members, which is expected to continue as new tools and organizational alliance members come online. FPC has already received numerous inquiries from interested gun rights organizations across the country and looks forwards to onboarding a number of organizations over the next quarter.

“We must now take on those who say that our Constitution is outdated, that it doesn’t mean what it says, and we must take them on together,” said Combs, CCRKBA Director of Advocacy and President of Cal-FFL. “Our rights are not negotiable and we are simply not going to give up another inch of our inalienable rights. This is the year of unity, focus, and resilience for gun rights activists at every level across the nation.”

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (ccrkba.org) is dedicated to protecting your firearms rights. Its role is to educate grass root activists, the public, legislators and the media. CCRKBA’s programs are designed to help all Americans understand the importance of the Second Amendment and its role in keeping Americans free.

The Second Amendment Foundation (saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

The Calguns Foundation (calgunsfoundation.org) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which serves its members by providing Second Amendment-related education, strategic litigation, and the defense of innocent California gun owners from improper or malicious prosecution. The Calguns Foundation seeks to inform government and protect the rights of individuals to acquire, own, and lawfully use firearms in California.

California Association of Federal Firearms Licensees (calffl.org) is California’s premier non-profit industry association of, by, and for firearms manufacturers, dealers, collectors, training professionals, shooting ranges, and others, advancing the interests of its members and the general public through strategic litigation, legislative efforts, and education. For more information or to join Cal-FFL, please visit calffl.org.

As reported by the Des Moines Register, “Iowa Democrats…left the Capitol in protest of two gun bills the Republican majority had planned to debate today…” House Joint Resolution 2009 proposes an amendment to the state constitution that includes a specific right to keep and bear arms. House Bill 2215 is a “stand-your-ground” measure that would expand the use of reasonable force to include lethal force, to resist grave bodily harm or death.

“Once again,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “Democrats have painted themselves as the party of gun control by disappearing rather than debating measures to strengthen the firearm civil rights of Iowa citizens.”

Gottlieb is co-author of These Dogs Don’t Hunt: The Democrats’ War on Guns with Dave Workman. He noted that Democrats claim they were ‘double-crossed’ because the bills were scheduled for debate today, allegedly not giving them adequate time to prepare amendments. Yet, he said, it was reported that they had already offered at least one amendment to one of the bills.

“We are disappointed,” he said, “that once again Democrats choose to be disingenuous about ducking out on gun owners. It is a sad example of legislative cowardice, since both bills will likely pass the Republican-controlled House. Iowa’s Democrat caucus can’t run away from that and live in denial.

“It is telling that Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Sue Dvorsky referred to both of these measures as ‘dangerous bills’ when she spoke with the Des Moines Register,” Gottlieb noted. “There is nothing dangerous about protecting a civil right already delineated in several state constitutions and the Bill of Rights, nor is there anything dangerous about expanding the self-defense rights of Hawkeye State citizens. Democrats are living in denial if they think they can delay these measures into obscurity.

“I will remind them of the words spoken by Dr. Martin Luther King,” he concluded. “A right delayed is a right denied.”

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the Internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org.

Under Emanuel’s proposal, any Illinois resident purchasing a handgun would be hit with the $65 registration requirement, which is over and above current statutory requirements that include possession of a Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card.

“This is Rahm Emanuel’s childish strategy of striking back at the Second Amendment,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan M. Gottlieb. “Chicago lost before the Supreme Court in the landmark McDonald case, and its horribly written handgun ordinance has also been rejected by a federal appeals court.

“Because he is on the losing end of the gun rights battle,” Gottlieb continued, “Mayor Emanuel now wants to take out his frustration on every law-abiding gun owner in Illinois. This is the kind of reaction one expects from a five-year-old throwing a temper tantrum, but it should be beneath the dignity of an adult who is supposed to be the leader of one of the nation’s largest cities.”

Emanuel claims that his measure is aimed at helping police, parents and community groups. But State Rep. Brandon Phelps, a Harrisburg Democrat, called the proposal a “slap in the face of every law-abiding gun owner.” Gottlieb concurs with that assessment.

“Rahm Emanuel is a both a product, and a philosophical poster child, of two anti-gun administrations,” he said. “He served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations, always as point man on gun control initiatives. He does not seem to grasp the reality that American citizens, including those living in Illinois, have a constitutionally-protected civil right to keep and bear arms for their personal protection.

“Mayor Emanuel’s crass effort to infringe on that right through legislative demagoguery is insulting and immature,” Gottlieb said. “This is the kind of behavior that continues to land Chicago in court, and pretty soon, taxpayers will grow tired of entertaining his anti-gun agenda with their dollars.”

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States. The Citizens Committee can be reached by phone at (425) 454-4911, on the Internet at www.ccrkba.org or by email to InformationRequest@ccrkba.org.